The wording of the election law amendment is vague on some points, but it appears that the women of Kuwait have been granted the right to vote and run in elections.

The prime minister, Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, said that he planned to name a woman minister.

“I congratulate the women of Kuwait for having achieved their political rights,” he said.

Kuwaiti women join their counterparts from the neighboring Gulf countries of Qatar, Oman and Bahrain in having the vote.

The amendment, which was finalized after several years of debate and struggle by Kuwaiti women, passed by a vote of 35 members of Parliament for, 23 against and 1 abstention. It was opposed by tribal and Islamist legislators.

The result, announced by the speaker of the Parliament, was greeted with thunderous applause from the public gallery, where supporters of the amendment had gathered.

However, an article in the bill requires that any female politician or voter abide by Islamic law. It was not clear what limits this might put on women’s rights.

“I am overexcited. I can’t believe this,” said Rola Dashti, an activist who said she would run in the next parliamentary election, in 2007. “I’m starting my campaign as of today.”

Dashti said she was not concerned by the vague reference to Islamic law, saying it probably just meant separate polling stations and not an Islamic dress code. “They can’t impose veils on voters,” she said.

The bill comes too late for women to participate in municipal elections in June. They can cast their first votes in the 2007 parliamentary elections.

Although Kuwaiti women have reached high positions in the oil industry, education and the diplomatic corps, the 1962 election law limited political rights to men.

Not everybody is overjoyed:

Islamic conservatives called the law a éébombshell” and accused the government of bowing to foreign pressure. They believe women’s participation in politics contradicts Islam’s teachings and complain it will allow women to mix with men freely.

Nasser al-Saneh, a fundamentalist lawmaker who voted against the bill, said he respected the house’s decision but hoped it did not come as a result of éégovernment pressure that changed the position of many.”

Women can now vote in all Middle Eastern nations where elections are held except Saudi Arabia. The Persian Gulf nations of Bahrain, Qatar and Oman all have held their first elections in recent years and have allowed women to cast ballots.

In an effort to win over some opponents, the Kuwaiti Cabinet met Monday to approve a pay increase for Kuwaiti state employees and pensioners that will cost the government $445 million a year.

The government then insisted parliament vote on a women’s rights bill it introduced a year ago to end the prohibition on women voting and running for office. The development surprised fundamentalist and tribal lawmakers, who had expected to debate a law that would have let women participate in 2009 elections for municipal councils.

I wish I could figure out how to upload pictures on WordPress, because, believe me, there are some mighty fine women in Kuwait. Robert, help me out here. Stick up a few of those pictures you have hiding under your pillow.

UPDATE FROM ROBERT: Done and done Daniel! Here are my thoughts, as well. The bill had been first approved, but had to undergo a second vote, in which they missed approval by all of two votes. If they had approved the bill then, women would have been able to run in June’s municipal elections. However, they scored a major victory today, and although they won’t be able to vote until the next parliamentary elections in 2007, they have at least won the right to do so.

Like I said, this is an incredible victory for the women of Kuwait. The ruling regime has been very sympathetic with their cause, directly pushing this initiative. The reference to adherence to Islamic law, I think, is rather a concession to those hardliners so that they would vote for the bill. In the end, however, this will be their undoing. These women, who have long been repressed, are very liberal and very adamant in their will. This “Islamic law” reference will be either impossible to enforce, or eventually overturned when these women make it into all corners of the government. Congrats, ladies.